It seems I see so many ads with (only 175,000 miles) or there a bouts.
Do the 90s and up cars power tranes hold up longer than older ones? Is it mechanical knowledge, or fluids and additives better or is it just luck that that a few of them make it past 125,000 miles?
It just seems like a lot of high mileage cars lately???:dontknow:
Donny

Got over 200,000 on both of my Thunderbirds before I sold them.
sold the 97 with a 4.6 because the intake finally cracked and I did not have the time to dink with her daily driver-------sold the 94 v-6 because the daughter bent it one too many times.

88 Bonneville--------got over 250k on that car before I sold it----starter locked up.
Had given it to a different daughter to use in Austin. She called one day and said that it would not start so she would not be paying the insurance any longer----I picked it up that very day (not having any car in my name in another city with no insurance).

Our Windstar----already went thru a trans and blown head gaskets------I think both are Taurus/Windstar trademarks. It has been repaired and still seems to be a reliable car but now the front end is getting loose----------150,000-----bought it with 60k about 3 years ago

05 Ranger------80k so far and only one burp that was repaired that day-----but the brakes were a different story------between the brakes on this Ranger and GMPP attitude over the 454HO in my 59 Elky is the reason why my Chevrolet 454 is painted Ford Bright Blue

Off to go look at a Crown Vic this morning to replace the van.
Been renting Marquis and Crowns for a while and really like them----sure wish GM had something to offer that was similar in the working class price range

Got over 200,000 on both of my Thunderbirds before I sold them.
sold the 97 with a 4.6 because the intake finally cracked and I did not have the time to dink with her daily driver-------sold the 94 v-6 because the daughter bent it one too many times.

88 Bonneville--------got over 250k on that car before I sold it----starter locked up.
Had given it to a different daughter to use in Austin. She called one day and said that it would not start so she would not be paying the insurance any longer----I picked it up that very day (not having any car in my name in another city with no insurance).

Our Windstar----already went thru a trans and blown head gaskets------I think both are Taurus/Windstar trademarks. It has been repaired and still seems to be a reliable car but now the front end is getting loose----------150,000-----bought it with 60k about 3 years ago

05 Ranger------80k so far and only one burp that was repaired that day-----but the brakes were a different story------between the brakes on this Ranger and GMPP attitude over the 454HO in my 59 Elky is the reason why my Chevrolet 454 is painted Ford Bright Blue

Off to go look at a Crown Vic this morning to replace the van.
Been renting Marquis and Crowns for a while and really like them----sure wish GM had something to offer that was similar in the working class price range

Man I think you got too many miles on that 59, you really need to trade it off to me, I'll do you a double!!!!:poke:
Donny

I had a electrician come in one day and he was working down at the L.A. Convention center. There was a auto manufactures meeting going on. He told me he was up on the cat walk doing some repairs and overheard one of the guys say that the parts should only last for three years.:dontknow::dontknow:

I think a big part of it is Overdrive transmissions. I just swapped a 700%4 into my 58 chevy with 3.55 gears, and 72 mph on the freeway is now 2,050 rpm. The engine is just loafing along.

I think the manufacturing tolerances are a lot closer today for a variety of reasons.

I've driven a few 200 - 300K like cars lately. You can tell the ones that were taken care of. You can't hide abuse on a higher mileage car as easily as you can with a low mileage one.

Just bought a 2002 Crown Vic------------this morning

Been renting Grand Marquis and Vics for a while now when I travel for work---pretty impressed with them.

People on the Chevelle board tell me these things get to 300k without issues.

55k on this car, and it looks like it has never been out of the garage----still OEM tires.
Hope the spouse likes it. Will be getting new tires next weekend when I return from Phoenix and then turn it over to her.

Dunno what the hell is going wrong with me now:???:
A Ranger
A Ranchero
A Windstar
And now a Crown Vic

Too damn many Fords in the driveway.

I went to pick up my son and a couple of his friends last night at the movies.
James mentioned to me that he had never known me to drive the Windstar since we got it.
I told him that I hope to never drive it again either.

My 96 C1500 just turned 301,000. It still has the original Vortec 305 running nice and strong. This truck wasn't pampered either. It was a service truck for my dad's company for 200K of those miles. Granted its had 3 transmission rebuilds and more than a few bad bearings and other minor repairs along the way, it's in great shape for its mileage. there is another 97 C1500 service truck at work that they FINALLLY had to retire 2 weeks ago with 315,000 miles. but the guy that it was issued to is an idiot.

I think the main reasons that newer vehicles last longer are OD transmissions that keep the engine RPMs nice and low (my truck is turning 1700 RPM at 70 MPH). As well as rollerized valve trains which equates to less friction, therefore less wear, therefore fewer metal shavings to wreak havoc on engine internals.

Hey Bryan59EC if you are having problems with your 59 it may be the bad company that it is been forced to keep with. Hee Hee. Now if you sell it to DDD make sure you remove that 454 and put a 235 in it are DDD will be in lots of trouble with tne cops far street racing, Hee Hee.

My dad just traded-in his '01 Silverado that had roughly 450,000 on it.

Hey Bryan59EC if you are having problems with your 59 it may be the bad company that it is been forced to keep with. Hee Hee. Now if you sell it to DDD make sure you remove that 454 and put a 235 in it are DDD will be in lots of trouble with tne cops far street racing, Hee Hee.

Well----the 59 does share lot space with 4 other Chevys
2 73 Malibus-------one is even a manual trans car--both are 2drs
the 66 Elky
and the 79 Chev I bought as a teen.

It's the poor lone Dodge that gets all the abuse from the Bowties and Ovals.

I had a 94 Corsica that had over 350,000 on the 3.1 v-6 and still got 30+ mpg. Finally had to retire it after one too many wrecks or I would probably still be driving it.

Why do new cars last so much longer?

1 - lubricants have come a long long way since.
2 - machining tolerances.
3 - rust protection. Sure.... depending on the environment, some still do rust badly, but it's no longer the rule.


Got 152k on my Silverado. However, up in the northeast here, it's a lot harder to put on a ton of miles in just a few years without beating them to death (bad roads). I've been through multiple sets of wheel bearings, upper control arms, and shocks. Besides... we don't have to drive 100 miles to the next town just to go shopping like youse guys down there in Texas!

Hey, my the original 400 in my Elky had 258,000 before I went through it, and it was still running. But seriously, New cars last longer due to 2 things. Fuel injection and better lubes.

chevydrew finally named the main item. Fuel injection helps to not wash cylinder walls down with fuel & not dilute the oil.

I have a co worker got a 2011 ford f150 eco boost in septemer ,brand new towed a small trailer not even 50 miles ,and his transmission went out he still had his dealer tags! They gave him a another truck off the lot.

I got 325K miles out of my 1983 Super Sport's original 305 before she finally blew. It would have went even longer, but I dropped a rod at the drag strip at full RPM when I was young and dumb. But it does seem like todays gas engines last much longer than they used to.

I believe roller cams/lifters helped the longevity of the later engines. Valve guides & seals still wear out, but for the most part, engines, at least most, hang together for quite a few miles. A friend's 3'4 ton Ford van is pushing 300 k, and it has only a V-6 in it ! amazing...
My Chev truck has 289 k on it. noisy lifters for the last 4 years !

Bodies still rust like hell in northern ( road salt) states though...:???:

It may be true that oil is better, but the additives that were removed, also helped reduce wear on everything else, and not just cams etc.

chevydrew finally named the main item. Fuel injection helps to not wash cylinder walls down with fuel & not dilute the oil.
Don't forget just about every vehicle since 85 are computerised - greatly saves on fuel & controls the O D trannys. My 96 chev p/u has over 250,000 miles runs strong but the body's starting to look tough, the diff. between a 95 & a 96 is the vortec -- world of diff in preformance. J.M.O.

Just another thought --when I was a kid a car with 70,000 miles was just about done -80,000 you were running on luck with lots of repairs to keep it going-100,000 mile to the boneyard it went. Now 100,000 miles its just broke in !! I see lots of vehicles with 200,000 miles on them & still going.

my 80 f150 is still goin at 250k... transmission is shot and im buildin a 521 for it so i dont drive it anymore but she starts everytime, and i trust her to drive across the state...just a disclaimer, ilove chevy and foed about the same...just had better luck with the two fords i own...and i beat em to hell... but then again the chevys have been beat too...a good motor is a good motor lol

Can't say much about the newer cars but I have an 85 Dodge with a 318 2bbl with just over 300k
Now that I've jinxed myself the dang thing will fall apart.
Just oil changes and tune-ups.
She ain't pretty nor fast but kind of like an old pair of jeans she just feels right.
She's the one in back.
http://i1031.photobucket.com/albums/y379/centex396/005.jpg

In the flat-head Ford days, along about 50 K miles, they were ready for a valve job and a set of rings. Of course the oil in those days.........it was a big deal when they came out with "detergent " oil !:smileyb:
Early SB Chevy engines seemed to have softer cast iron in their blocks than later year engines. Even had a '60 Pontiac engine that had ridges from ring wear at the bottom of the bores as well as the top ! weird !